Monday, January 16, 2023

37th Annual MLK Symposium: “The (R)evolution of MLK: from Segregation to Elevation

10:00 AM

The 2023 symposium will take place at Hill Auditorium and will also be streamed online on Monday, January 16 at 10 a.m. EST. The stream will begin at 9:45 a.m. Check back soon for the live video link.

The 2023 MLK Symposium Planning Committee is excited to honor and celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and to share with the University community an inspirational and educational keynote address on Monday, January 16, 2023, at 10 a.m. at Hill Auditorium. The keynote address includes a dynamic mix of local and national speakers and performances, and we are excited to host the event in person for the first time since 2020.

This year’s theme, “The (R)evolution of MLK: from Segregation to Elevation,” will explore King’s activism after 1964, highlighting the evolution of King’s primary focus on segregation to a broader, more radical, and revolutionary platform that included health, economics, and education. Dr. King’s quote, “White Americans must recognize that justice for black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society,” defines him as a front-runner in Critical Race Theory.

Three panelists from different perspectives will push beyond King’s legacy of “I Have a Dream” and “nonviolence” to a discussion that centers on King’s more challenging and complex legacy calling for our society to seek solutions to the cultural, economic and governmental root causes of racism.